Yesterday, November 5th, I visited Shri Upasani Kanyakumari Sthan in Sakori, Maharashtra. I had long wanted to see if more information could be retrieved regarding the prophecy in 1939 made by Upasani Baba, of an avatar appearing in a European (Western) country. This was reported by Shri S. Subbarao, in the book The Sage of Sakori which is the source of all the information we have had until now.

“In February 1939 Shri Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, Himalayas, paid a visit to Sakuri. . He had long talks with Baba on the subject of Dharma (religion), the present chaotic condition of the Hindu Dharma, the need for reform, etc. and expressed his regret that holy men were helpless to advance its cause. Circumstances were such that only an Avatara will be capable of reestablishing Dharma in the world. This interesting talk of the Swamiji evoked a sympathetic response from Baba who burst out with a prophetic announcement of the future Incarnation and his work. (pg. 189-190)

… In this connection [it] may be mentioned Baba’s prophecy to Shri Shankarachara of Jyotir Math in February 1939; Baba declared that an incarnation will shortly manifest Himself on earth in a European country. He will be all powerful and bear down everything before him. He will see to it that Vedic Dharma is firmly re-established in India.” (pg. 202) Sage of Sakori: Life Story of Shree Upasani Maharaj

Unfortunately, Mr. Tipnis (who had been alive on my previous visit to this Ashram in the 1980s) who was a great scholar of Upasani Baba and has now passed away, is no longer alive. I had hoped to talk with him about this. Gracefully, I was able to speak with to the last living of the original twenty-four Kanyas, personally accepted into his circle by Upasani Baba. Sati Lilavati Upasani Baba was the final of these twenty-four original Kanyas, coming to be a Kanya in direct association with Upasani Baba only in the last of his life. Kanya Lilavani came to Upasani when she was 14 years of age in 1940. She had just recently celebrated her 92nd birthday.

We spoke with her in her room in the Kanya’s quarters in the Ashram. She is mostly deaf, but could receive questions via writing. She spoke only Marathi. Auspiciously, we had been directed to her niece, Paru Thakkar, who was visiting the Ashram from Thane near Mumbai. After speaking to her niece, her niece talked to Kanya Lilavani, who expressed that she was excited to talk about this matter. This interview was filmed. I was traveling with Nitin Hopatrao from Ganeshpuri who served as a translator for the meeting from Marathi to English and vice versa.

When Kanya Lilavati was asked for any information she might have about this prophecy by Upasani Baba, she first said, “this definitely happened, He made that statement.” This statement was made in 1939, and she came only to be with Upasani Baba in 1940, so she was not there on this occasion. But she said that it was talked about very strongly by Godavari Mataji, the Spiritual successor of Upasani Baba, and head of the Ashram after Upasani Baba’s lifetime. She said that Godavari Mataji wanted all of the Kanyadana Kumaris to remember this prediction, and it was considered a very important matter, not something that was just casually said and then forgotten. She said that it was something that was an essential part of the understanding of all of the Kanyas.

She also said that Upasani Baba himself said that he would be reborn in the United States specifically. “because the people who live there cannot readily come to India to receive the Hindu teaching/Dharma such as the Bhagavad-Gita, I need to go there.” Whereas the original prediction made to the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, just specifically mentioned a European country, this further prediction of Upasani Baba’s own rebirth specifically was relative to the United States. Lilavati said that no particular region of the United States, or any state within the fifty states was mentioned, but the country of the United States was explicitly indicated. I have not seen this in any of the English literature on Upasani Baba.

Sati Kanya Lilavati Upasani Maharaj said that this was common knowledge among the Kanyadana Kumaris around Upasani Baba. She said that hearing that Adi Da had been born in 1939, nine months after Upasani Baba’s prophecy, made her very happy. She said this was definitely “all of the same thing.” And the fulfillment of the prophecy. She said that the Siddhas were all one and that Adi Da and Upasani Baba were in her understanding the same. She was so pleased to hear about Adi Da, and asked to keep His picture and put it next to Godavari Mataji’s in her room. She also happily received a packet of Sacred Ash, or udi from The Mountain of Attention Sanctuary, with Adi Da’s picture on the front. (It can be seen in the picture above, in which Kanya Lilavani is reaching into a container to give Prasad in return.)

It was a sweet interview and felt important.

I would like to say something here based on my training by Bhagavan Adi Da relative to the past life associations of His Deeper Personality. Bhagavan Adi Da made it clear to me, that these matters are not about one ego and another ego, or any linear process. And that there could be multiple entities involved. So my own speculation as one continuation of the ideas from this interview, is that after Upasani Baba’s passing in 1941, some aspect of his deeper personality vehicle could have become associated with that of Adi Da Samraj. I am not wishing to put too fine a point on this. It is something to continue to research and consider. But I have over the years, in doing a great deal of study of the life and personality of Upasani Baba, seen so many similarities of character and connection to our Beloved Bhagavan, that such an association feels natural and auspicious as another past life association with Bhagavan Adi Da’s Deeper Personality vehicle. This had been considered previously with Bhagavan Adi Da when He had asked for a consideration of what associations might have been there between July 4, 1902 (the date of Swami Vivekananda’s Mahasamadhi) and November 3, 1939 (the date of Adi Da’s own Birth). Of course at that time we did not know about Upasani Baba’s own prophecy of his own reincarnation in the United States.

20 Comments

Yes, very interesting indeed–so glad you were able to make this trip. and your reference to Avatar Adi Da commenting that “multiple entities” could be involved in re-birth of Masters is intriguing, redressing our tendency to interpret such Cosmic processes in linear terms. I understand your “speculations” are tentative, but valuable in light of an opened-up view on the Avataric Birth.

Though that was also a part of His earthly personality , as described at the beginning of ” The Knee of Listening ” .Franklin Jones was an intense , no holds barred , Scorpio native .
I read today that Meher Baba had said that Upasani Baba passed his spiritual work or legacy to him ( In the same way that Ramakrishna passed his spiritual legacy and power to Vivekananda , perhaps ? ) Have you also read about this , James ?
Meher Baba , though saying he would break his silence , did not do so , before his Mahasamadhi , which occurred in 1969 , one year before Adi Da’s Realisation in the Vedanta temple . Perhaps he broke his silence when Adi Da began his Teaching work . ” Who will throw the first stone ? ” His first words during satsang . One recalls Upasani’s throwing of the stone between Meher Baba’s eyes , the place where Sai Baba had kissed him . That stone thrown , brought Meher Baba down from his immersion in the Divine , to a state where he could function in the world as well as be in Divine Bliss . Perhaps Adi Da’s words were a reference to that occasion , and to His link with those three
Divine Realisers .

I realise that the stone throwing as question was an expression of the self contraction , in the case of his audience . An expression of the verbal left brain , which obliterates all spiritual states . And also an expression of mere intellectual speculation , when not relevant to spiritual practice . Adi Da did not encourage such questioning , when indulged in not from a place of love .

” Who will throw the first stone ? ” resonates on many levels . His Teaching years were a profound submission to the earth bound .
The intellect is traditionally assigned to the masculine realm , emotion and feeling , intuition , to the feminine realm ( even in the Jungian sense ) And it is the woman who has been stoned , according to traditional religious texts . The first instance that comes to mind is the woman caught in adultery , in the Christian story .

I think it was about that woman , that Christ spoke , when he said she was forgiven , because she ‘ loved much ‘ . So in Satsang , there is the Woman , there is the intellectual mind without spiritual depth , and there is Adi Da , repeating the words of Christ .

I am writing about the first Satsang with Adi Da .
I am considering also , that when Meher Baba said ‘ I am the Avatar of the ages ” and ” When I speak , all must listen ” , he may have been speaking in a Divinely intuitive sense , conveying Prescience of Adi Da’s Realisation . It goes without saying that Meher Baba did mot speak in an egoic sense . Those words were Divine Revelation .

I think it was about that woman , that Christ spoke , when he said she was forgiven , because she ‘ loved much ‘ . So in Satsang , there is the Woman , there is the intellectual mind without spiritual depth , and there is Adi Da , repeating the words of Christ .

thanks James, I was wondering about this today- as I was in my studio cleaning up I found a photo of Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math. I have it because I taught Transcendental Meditation and we bowed down before an image of him every initiation…and I meant to share it sometime with a better link to this prophecy ({( had a swastika on it- my grandma stopped me in the middle of my Puja and asked “What is THAT !?” Hahahaha)… anyway As a TM-er I was very curious when I heard of this prophecy years ago

Meher Baba also stopped writing , for an extensive period before his Mahasamadhi . He even ceased to use the alphabet board . He use a unique sign language instead .Perhaps that relinquishment, as well as his silence , was a tapas and preparatory work for the sake of Adi Da’s Work that would follow , after 1970. Meher Baba’s passing was in 1969 .His words about the effects of the breaking of his silence appear to point to the mantric effects of Adi Da’s Word , and the Siddhi associated with his Word , which awakens beings to the Self . That is what Meher Baba said breaking his silence would accomplish . He was speaking as Consciousness , not as the body/mind .

Upasani Baba may have merged with Franklin Jones when He decided to relinquish the ” Bright ” for the sake of mankind, when He was two or three , in 1941 or 1942. Upasani Baba’s Mahasamadhi was in 1941.A dog was a connecting link via an incident , when a black dog was waiting for food , and Sai Baba said to Upasani Baba that that he was that dog , and why did you not feed me ? A puppy was the catalyst for connecting Franklin Jones with mankind , and perhaps with Upasani Baba. But Upasani Baba spoke as Consciousness Itself , as Meher Baba did . They would not have regarded themselves as limited to one body/mind vehicle , perhaps.If Upasani Baba could have been associated with Franklin Jones’ relinquishment of the ” Bright ” , then Meher Baba could have been associated with Adi Da’s returning to His Realisation of the ” Bright” in the Vedanta temple. But those two great spiritual personages , Upasani Baba and Meher Baba were only Consciousness , Aware of Its own Nature and Emergence .

Meher Baba ceased writing in 1927 , a year and a half after he began his silence .His silence lasted forty four years . He did not write for forty two and a half years . I think of his silence as the Divine Silence , the Hush ,before the Divine Sound of thunder ” Da ! ” , and the Heart’s Shout .